Colin Powell is a former secretary of State and ex-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. / Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

Colin Powell did more than defend Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel on Sunday morning TV. The former secretary of State also strongly condemned his Republican Party, calling it out for a "dark vein of intolerance."

"I think the Republican Party right now is having an identity problem and I'm still a Republican," Powell said on NBC's Meet the Press, as he lamented a "significant shift to the right" that has resulted in losing presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

There's been lots of hand-wringing about the GOP since Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election, and Powell's comments are similar to those made by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and ex-Florida governor Jeb Bush. While conservatives may hold some of the GOP's top leadership posts, Powell is still someone who commands respect.

Powell, the first African American to be the nation's top diplomat, went on to explain that his intolerance comment was directed at those in the GOP who "still sort of look down on minorities." He also said the Republican Party has to define what it stands for.

"If it's just going to represent the far right wing of the political spectrum, I think the party is in difficulty," said Powell, who said he voted for a GOP presidential candidate seven times in a row before voting for President Obama twice. "I'm a moderate, but I'm still a Republican."

Powell's remarks also come as former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, a one-time GOP presidential candidate, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, briefly a registered Republican before becoming an independent, take steps to revive the middle ground in politics.